State government is being hailed as a national leader when it comes to government spending transparency through its online portal, according to a new ranking by a public interest group.
Connecticut received an A+ when it comes to government spending transparency. The report, “Following the Money 2016: How the 50 States Rate in Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data,” was produced by Connecticut Public Interest Research Group (ConnPIRG) Education Fund.
ConnPIRG said in its seventh annual report that Connecticut’s near-perfect score for its fiscal transparency website makes it a leader in state spending transparency nationally. “By introducing intuitive graphs and easily navigable data sets, the state is giving citizens far more than just a data dump—they are helping citizens understand and analyze just how their tax dollars are spent,” said Evan Preston, ConnPIRG director.
Based on an inventory of the content and ease-of-use of states’ transparency websites, the “Following the Money 2016” report assigns each state a grade of “A” to “F.” The leading states with the most comprehensive transparency websites are Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Oregon, and Connecticut.
According to ConnPIRG, Connecticut’s most significant improvements include the addition of a page that details what data is excluded from the site, allowing citizens to better understand the universe of information the state is providing. The state also added more information about the projected and actual public benefits of some of its largest subsidy programs.
ConnPIRG said the state could continue to improve its transparency efforts by expanding its site to include spending information from municipalities and more local government bodies.
